Explanation:
Nine years ago the massive
Compton
Gamma Ray Observatory
was deployed in low earth orbit.
Sparkling interior reflections and the bright limb of the
Earth are visible in this 1991 window view of
Compton's release
by the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Lofted above the protective atmosphere, Compton's instruments
could explore the extreme high-energy
Universe in gamma rays,
photons with 100,000 times or more the energy of visible light.
The premier gamma-ray observatory far exceeded expectations
for a two- to five-year mission, but a
recent gyroscope
failure has prompted NASA to decide to steer the satellite safely
back into the atmosphere.
Compton's lasting
legacy of discovery
will include the detection of more than 400 celestial
gamma-ray sources,
10 times more than were previously known; and
more than 2,500 gamma-ray bursts.